The people of Karnataka’s Chitradurga district, which is reeling under drought, face drinking water crisis, and farmers find it tough to maintain their livestock due to fodder shortage, officials aware of the matter said.
All six taluks of the district have been declared drought-affected and the district administration has submitted a report to the state government staing that there is a possibility of drinking water problem in more than 120 villages of the district in the coming days, officials said, adding that an action plan has been formulated to deal with the situation.
“We have prepared a plan to tackle water shortage by getting water from Vani Vilasa Sagar,” Chitradurga municipal corporation commissioner M Renuka told HT. “Apart from this, we have planned to dig up borewells in many wards of the city which has already 225 borewells.”
The state government has declared 216 of the 236 taluks in the state drought-hit due to failed monsoons. Two days back chief minister Siddaramaiah attacked the BJP-led central government over delay in the release of drought relief.
According to officials, 123 villages in Chitradurga district are facing drinking water problem. They include 11 villages in Challakere taluk, 22 in Chitradurga, 26 in Hiriyur, six in Holalkere, nine in Hosadurga, and 49 villages in Molakalmuru taluk. Presently, 29 wards of Chitradurga city are getting water supply from Shanti Sagar reservoir. “13 millions of litre per pay (mld) water is being supplied every day. This water may be available only for the next three months. There may be a substantial shortage in the quantity of water available from the Shanti Sagar,” a municipal corporation official aware of the matter said.
{{/usCountry}}According to officials, 123 villages in Chitradurga district are facing drinking water problem. They include 11 villages in Challakere taluk, 22 in Chitradurga, 26 in Hiriyur, six in Holalkere, nine in Hosadurga, and 49 villages in Molakalmuru taluk. Presently, 29 wards of Chitradurga city are getting water supply from Shanti Sagar reservoir. “13 millions of litre per pay (mld) water is being supplied every day. This water may be available only for the next three months. There may be a substantial shortage in the quantity of water available from the Shanti Sagar,” a municipal corporation official aware of the matter said.
{{/usCountry}}Apart from water, the district is facing shortage of fodder. “A few days back, the crops that looked green in the fields of the district have now dried up and fodder is not available. Generally, 10.86 lakh metric tonnes of fodder is available in the district during monsoon season. However, due to lack of rain, only 3.71 lakh metric tonnes of fodder is now available,” an official said.
“Cattle in the district require at least 1.059 million metric tonnes of fodder per year. Groundnut husk is an important feed for cattle. However, the peanuts sown in July have fully ripened. The condition of millet and maize is no different and crops dried up,” said the official not wishing to be named.
According to government data, there are 338,907 cattle, and 1,737,145 sheep and goats in the district. Molakalmuru and Challakere taluks alone have 750,000 sheep and goats. “Sheep and goats suffer more due to fodder problem than cattle and buffaloes . As fodder dries up in the fields, cows and shepherds are moving to the Malnad region . Farmers are already paying twice as much to buy paddy grass from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh to protect their cattle from fodder shortage,” an official aware of the development said.
Some farmers are forced to sell the livestock due to the severity of fodder shortage, officials said, adding that a cow worth ₹40,000 to ₹ 45,000 is now being sold for ₹ 20,000.
“A proposal has been submitted to the state government to supply 1 lakh fodder seed kits to the district,” A Babu Ratna, deputy director of the animal husbandry and veterinary services department told HT. “Soon after getting the kits, they will be distributed to the farmers at taluk level,” he said.